Carrie Ford, CNCT, R.NCS.T., Receives 2025 AANEM Outstanding Service Award
Published July 28, 2025
News
Carrie Ford, CNCT, R.NCS.T., has been recognized with the 2025 Outstanding Service Award, honoring her decades of impact in NM and EDX medicine and unwavering commitment to the neurodiagnostic community. “Receiving this AANEM award is a truly humbling and great honor,” Ms. Ford said. “So many outstanding AANEM members have been recognized over the years, and now I’m very proud to be one of those people.”
Now serving as a neurodiagnostic technologist at the Medical University of South Carolina, Ms. Ford brings more than 30 years of experience to the field. Her path into neurodiagnostics was shaped early on by family influence—her father trained in neurology at Mayo Clinic under Ed Lambert, MD, and mealtime conversations at home often centered around neurology and neurophysiology, sparking her lasting interest in the field.
“Although I have a degree in Fashion Merchandising, the influence of my dad caused a lifelong interest in neurology, which led me to pursue a career in EEG and nerve conduction studies,” she said. “I learned NCS under the esteemed Shin Oh.”
Ms. Ford has seen the field of EDX medicine evolve from analog systems to digital advancements, remembering when early EMG machines would pick up local radio signals. Through it all, she remained focused on raising professional standards, playing a role in establishing the Certified Nerve Conduction Technologist (CNCT) certification, and earning both CNCT and R.NCS.T. credentials.
Her career has been marked by clinical excellence and a deep investment in education and mentorship. She encourages aspiring technologists to persist through early NCS challenges and embrace a mindset of continuous learning. “NCS—especially edema, body habitus, and electrical interference—can be challenging. But don’t give up! You will get the hang of doing NCS,” she says, adding, “You got this! Remember, you never stop learning.”
Ms. Ford has also passionately advocated for high-quality technologist education through her work with AANEM. She co-chaired the Technologist Education Committee and the Technologist Expansion Committee, helping to develop tools like study guides, checkpoint resources, and educational videos to support CNCT candidates and working technologists. “The tech expansion committee was the first AANEM committee dedicated to techs,” she said. “That committee laid the foundation for the Technologist Education committee.”
Her engagement with AANEM extends beyond education. Ms. Ford has served on the Podcast Editorial Board, where she interviewed physicians and technologists to make neurodiagnostic knowledge more accessible. She calls this role her “favorite experience to date with committees,” emphasizing the value podcasts bring to trainees and professionals alike.
Ms. Ford is energized about the future of neurodiagnostics thanks to the ongoing efforts to improve EDX quality standards and expand lab accreditation. She shares her appreciation for all involved with the AANEM state liaisons working to pass legislation that enhances the quality of EDX medicine and encourages others to get involved.
“The best way to make a difference in our field is to stay actively involved and take proactive steps,” she notes, highlighting the importance of noticing and reporting fraudulent or substandard studies. “Patients are the reason we are in this field; great care should be taken for their proper diagnosis.”
When asked what keeps her motivated after such an accomplished career, her answer was simple: a love of learning. “I love learning new NCS techniques, picking the brains of the great EMGers, and cherishing my relationships with the EDX physicians who inspire me to never stop learning,” she said.
From her pioneering leadership in education to her contributions in advocacy and service, Ms. Ford has helped shape neurodiagnostic medicine and continues to inspire the next generation of technologists.